Vive la France: Louis Vuitton Awakens French Craftsmanship with New High Jewels

Francesca Amfitheatrof has debuted her sixth high jewellery collection for Louis Vuitton – Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds – designed to honour the evolution of French craftsmanship and artistry through a series of one-of-a-kind suites. Each brings to life the motifs that are quintessentially Louis Vuitton, whilst also incorporating precious minerals and a healthy dose of French savoir faire. Let’s consider some of the highlights from this 220-piece collection and its 13 chapters that celebrate a sense of national pride…

Last year, Louis Vuitton Creative Director Francesca Amfitheatrof made waves with the Deep Time collection, which explored the origins and geological legacy of the universe. During this season’s Paris Haute Couture Week, she continued her streak of spellbinding creations with the launch of the Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds collection, unveiling the unprecedented collection in Saint-Tropez and toasting the largest assemblage of pieces ever created by the Maison. In a year where France is in the global spotlight, hosting the Summer 2024 Olympic Games, Amfitheatrof’s creations foster rich dialogues between French creatives throughout history. Here are some of the most breathtaking designs and the revolutionary French art movements and historic moments that inspired them.

Splendeur High Jewellery Necklace

The Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds collection begins with a tribute to French craftsmanship from 1801 to 1901, a period that saw the birth of French luxury. This era marked the end of royal court rule, granting France’s guilds the freedom to explore and innovate with different styles and materials, shaping what we now consider luxury. The collection honours this era of fresh perspective and creative independence by opening with the Splendeur suite. These jewels pay homage to the intricate craftsmanship of imperial woodwork, which includes lavishly carved and gilded wood furniture and architectural elements, such as those seen in the Palace of Versailles.

The highlight of the Splendeur suite is a transformative collar necklace set with 52 newly uncovered rubies from Mozambique, collectively weighing 57.92 carats. These rubies exhibit a unique intensity of colour, reminiscent of those from the Napoleonic era. The gemstones are framed by an intricate, woven mesh of carved gold flowers that emulate imperial woodwork, a design motif also seen in the accompanying rings, bracelet, and earrings. Additionally, the rubies are fully traceable through blockchain technology, making Louis Vuitton the first high jewellery house to offer such traceability for coloured stones. This suite exemplifies Louis Vuitton’s innovative spirit, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern technology.

Séduction High Jewellery Necklace

The next suite in the collection, Séduction, draws inspiration from another celebrated French art form: passementerie. This intricate art involves creating elaborate trimmings or edgings on clothing and furnishings using applied braids, gold or silver cords, embroidery, coloured silk, or beads. The Séduction suite brings these beloved design details, such as brocade, jacquard, and tassel work, to life through its jewels. A combination of platinum and yellow gold – a signature of the Maison – are intricately mixed to create knot-like, V-shaped detailing and cord-style fringing that recall the ropes used to hoist the Maison’s historic travel trunks, while diamond patterns hint at the Monogram Kite motif. The most notable piece in this series is the Séduction necklace, the collection’s most complex piece in terms of hours required to create. It took a total of 4,276 hours of work, including 900 hours of development, to bring this design to life. This piece also features one of the collection’s most impressive stones – a 12.92-carat Zambian emerald with a hint of blue.

Elegance High Jewellery Tiara

The Elegance jewellery set draws its inspiration from the rare jewellery-making art of en tremblant. This French term, meaning ‘to tremble’, describes a setting style that became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its defining feature is articulated elements, typically made from precious metals and gemstones, that move as if floating delicately in mid-air with the wearer’s movement. The French Maison Chaumet is particularly credited with the development and popularisation of this aesthetic with its Végétal-style pieces including biologically accurate renderings of stalks of wheat, dew drops, and flower pistons.

This light and airy setting is the standout feature of the Louis Vuitton Elegance suite, which is entirely made of white gold and diamonds, including Louis Vuitton’s first-ever tiara in its high jewellery creations. This piece is adorned with classic Louis Vuitton signature motifs and emblems, including the iconic V combined with LV monogram star-cut diamonds. The all-white colour is made crisp through geometrical shapes and patterns infused throughout its design, perfectly illustrating the collection’s fusion of past and present craftsmanship styles.

Gravité High Jewellery Collar

The themes of modernisation and geometric motifs continue in the Gravité suite, featuring two distinctive necklaces, which are still being finalised. The first is an ornate collar crafted entirely from diamonds and white gold, embodying the precision and innovation of scientific advancements of the era. The design showcases a series of meticulously set stacked V-shapes forming the main body of the necklace, topped with three antique Kashmir sapphires of 6.48 carats, 4.38 carats, and 2.13 carats. The suite also includes a smaller, more minimalist choker necklace, which highlights another of the collection’s most impressive and rare gemstones – an entrancing 27.20-carat star sapphire, adding a touch of mystique. 

Optimism High Jewellery Necklace

Continuing with the theme of scientific and technological advancements, the Optimism suite in the collection reflects the remarkable positivity in Paris during the latter half of the 19th century. This era saw Paris become the first city in Europe to have electric lighting in 1871, earning it the nickname ‘City of Lights’. The highlight of this theme is a diamond plissé necklace, which alternates sections of diamond pavé with highly polished yellow gold. When rotated, the gold reflects the diamonds like a mirror, creating a yellow hue. Custom-cut baguettes and a star-cut diamond in the centre further enhance this luminous effect. This piece nods to the electric energy of Paris, both literal and metaphorical. Amfitheatrof describes the piece as “literally a magnet to discovery, to intelligence and vision – and optimism,” alluding to the mesmerising effect of the diamond reflections. Accompanying the necklace is a pair of rose gold and diamond earrings that elegantly climb up the wearer’s ear, adding an electric bolt of sparkle and power to the suite.

Vision High Jewellery Necklace

The Vision suite captures the essence of France’s achievements during the Industrial Revolution, drawing inspiration from the era’s advancements in train travel. The 19th century in France was marked by significant breakthroughs in mechanisation and engineering, revolutionising travel and connecting Paris with the rest of the country. This newfound connectivity brought a sense of freedom and discovery to both city and country dwellers, and it was this spirit that inspired Monsieur Louis Vuitton’s first creation, the iconic travel trunk. 

The Vision necklace pays homage to Gare Saint Lazare, the first railway station built in Paris, located in the 8th arrondissement. This station remains a vital hub for travellers to and from the city. Crafted in yellow gold and platinum, the necklace features Louis Vuitton trunk metal rivets, offering a fully articulated design that feels like a second skin to the wearer. Adorned with diamonds and large yellow sapphires weighing 13.47 carats and 11.79 carats respectively, the necklace showcases a mastery of interlacing the classic V-shape motif, forming its main structure. The creation of this exquisite piece was a true labour of love, requiring 2,504 hours of meticulous work and the expertise of five skilled jewellers to assemble it section by section.

Victoire High Jewellery Transformable Necklace

The Victoire high jewellery necklace pays homage to a significant milestone in Louis Vuitton’s history. The design takes jewellery enthusiasts back to 1854, the year Louis Vuitton became the first artisan and designer to create and register a logo. This marked the birth of the iconic Louis Vuitton logo, now one of the most famous and recognisable designs globally. The Victoire necklace commemorates this historic achievement with a design that emulates the structure of an upside-down Eiffel Tower, crafted in platinum, yellow gold, and diamonds. The centrepiece is a magnificent 15.16-carat, D IF stone, cut into the shape of the LV Monogram Flower. This is the largest Monogram Flower stone ever featured in the Maison’s high jewellery collections. What’s more, the necklace is transformable – the stone can be detached and worn as a ring.

Coeur de Paris High Jewellery Necklace

Amfitheatrof’s pièce de résistance in the collection is the Coeur de Paris necklace, a piece that holds deep personal significance for her. Inspired by one of her favourite French monuments, Francesca draws endless inspiration from the Eiffel Tower: “To me, standing underneath the Eiffel Tower and looking up at the structure feels like being in the heart of Paris.” The Coeur de Paris necklace, the collection’s centrepiece, mirrors the intricate underside of the Eiffel Tower, featuring an extraordinary over 56-carat warm champagne diamond. Amfitheatrof describes this gem as “the most unique and beautiful stone,” framed by a delicate blend of pink gold and platinum. Moreover, this necklace introduces the first-ever Rivière of LV monogram diamonds and round brilliant diamonds created by Louis Vuitton, showcasing 26 LV Monogram Star cut diamonds. This innovative design continues the revolutionary spirit evident throughout the collection. For Francesca, “this piece is so unique that it will last forever.”

Louis Vuitton’s Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds collection is a true celebration of France’s contributions to the world. It honours the artistic movements pioneered by the nation, the visionary individuals behind them, and the technological advancements that have made this beautiful and rich country accessible to all. This collection marks yet another incredible triumph for Francesca Amfitheatrof, and we eagerly anticipate the new jewellery adventures she will embark upon as the Creative Director of this storied house.